Insulated rail-joint.



PATENT-ED NOV. 8, 1904. 1

0. J. BUCK. INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

AYPLIOATION FILED MAY 12, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented November 8, 1904.

PATENT Qrricn.

CHRISTIAN J. BUCK, OF GALLITZIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

INSULATED RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,506, dated November8, 1904.

Application filed May 12, 1904.

To all whmn it may concern.-

bars, this form of rail-joint being employed on roads where extensivesystems of electric signaling are used. 4

To this end the invention consists in the novel construction of thesplice-bars and their arrangement with respect to the meeting ends ofthe rails which they connect, as will be more particularly described andclaimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which Figure 1 isa perspective view of arail-joint made in accordance with my invention, in which the variouselements are shown assembled. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line2. 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 3 is aperspective View of one of the members comprising the splice-bar,showing in detail the construction and contour thereof.

Like characters represent like parts throughout.

The splice-bar employed in my invention is of approximately squarecontour in cross-section for about two-thirds of its length, asindicated at 1, and then it gradually slopes off into an angle, as shownat 2. From the squared portion 1 and extending the length thereof I cuta member 3, thedirection of the cut eX- tending the length of thesplice-bar until the latter tapers toward its angular end, and thenextending at right angles thereto, as shown at 6, until it reaches theinner side of the said splice-bar. The member 3 is cut with abeveledSerial No. 207,714. (No model.)

face 4, which forms a bearing-surface for the corresponding beveledinner face 5 of the squared portion 1.

In assembling the splice-bars upon the ends of the rails I placeinsulating-strips 7, of any and 5 of the members 3 and 1, respectively,and then bend the said strips, as at 8 in Fig. 1, to conform to theangle 6 of the inner face of the squared end 1, as it is when the member3 has been cut therefrom. The splicebar upon the other side has itsmembers put together in the same manner. I then insulate the ends of therails from one another by means of an end strip 9. In joining themeeting ends of the rails I arrange the splice-bar (arbitrarily termedA) with its squared end adjacent the rail a, and the splice-bar B withits squared end adjacent therail 7), so that the squared end of one bar,A, on one side of the rail is adjacent the angular end of the other bar,B, on the other side of the same rail, this arrangement being necessaryto completely insulate the rails from the splice-bar and being adistinctive feature of my invention. It is also advantageous inpreserving an even weight and balance throughout the structure. ;It isadvantageous in-assembling the members of the joint that the ends 6 ofthe squared portion 1, formed by cutting away the members 3, shall ineach splice-bar be adjacent the point Where the ends of the rails meet,so that when the insulating-strips '7 are inserted the bent portions 8between the members 1 and 3 thereof in each splice-bar will be adjacentthe end strip 9. The various elements having been properly arranged Iconnect the rails and the splice-bars by bolts 10, passing throughapertures 11 in the splice-bars, the said bolts having their threadedends secured adjacent the squared portion 1 by nuts 12, insulated bybushings 13 in the usual manner. Thus the ends of the rail are insulatedfrom one another by the insulation 9 and from the splicebars by theinsulation 7 so that there are no points Where the iron is in contact,and all danger of completing a circuit is obviated.

The outside members of each splice-bar are suitable material, betweenthe beveled faces 4:

provided with notches 2 3 to receive spikes l of the usual form toengage in the cross-ties. (Not shown.)

It is obvious that several minor changes may be made without departingfrom the spirit or scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 1. In a rail-joint thecombination with the meeting ends of the rails having a strip ofinsulation interposed therebetween, of a pair of splice-bars insulatedfrom the rails, each of said splice-bars having an enlarged end, one ofsaid splice-bars being located on each side of the rails and connectedto the adjacent splicebar by bolts passing through the rails.

2. In a rail-joint the combination with the meeting ends of the rails,having a strip of insulation interposed therebetween, of asplicebar,said splice-bar being formed in a plurality of separable sections andbeing insulated from the rails which it connects.

3. A splice-bar for rail-joints having a portion of its body rectangularin cross-section and consisting of two members, one of said membersbeing cut from the squared portion of the said splice-bar and a strip ofinsulation interposed between the said members, substantially asdescribed.

i. A splice-bar for rail-joints having an angular smaller end and asquared larger end, said splice-bar being formed of two members, one ofsaid members being cut from the said I squared end, the surface of thesaid end from i which the said member has been out being l i l l l i l lbeveled and the adjacent surface of the said member being beveled andhaving a strip of insulation interposed between the said beveledsurfaces substantially as described.

5. In a rail-joint the combination with the meeting ends of the railshaving an end strip l of insulation interposed therebetween, of a 1splice-bar having a squared end and comprising two members, one of saidmembers being l cut from the said squared end, the said cutl away memberhaving its end extending at a right angle to its side thereby leavingthe surface of the splice-bar from which the said member has been cutapproximately L-shaped, and a strip of insulation interposed between thetwo members and having its end adjacent the end of the cut-away memberand the end of the squared portion of the splice-bar bent at rightangles to that portion of the said strip between the adjacent faces ofthe said members of the splice-bar.

6. In a rail-joint, the combination with the meeting ends of the railshaving an end strip of insulation interposed therebetween, of a 1splice-bar having a squared end and compris- L ing two members, one ofsaid members being 1 cut from the said squared end, the surface of l thesaid squared end where the member has been cut away and the adjacentsurface of the said cut-away member being beveled, the said cut-awaymember having its end extending at a right angle to its beveled sidethereby leaving the surface of the splice-bar from which the said.member has been cut approximately L-shaped. and a strip of insulationinterposed. between the beveled surfaces of the two members and havingits end adjacent the adjacent ends of the cut-away member and of thesquared portion of the splice-bar bent at a right angle to that portionof the said strip between the beveled faces of the adjacent members ofthe splice-bar.

7. In a rail-joint, the combination with the meeting ends of the rails,having a strip of insulation interposed therebetween,-of a pair ofsplice-bars insulated from the rails, said splice-bars having one endlarger than the other, one of said splice-bars being located on one sideof the meeting-rails and the other of said splice-bars being located onthe other side of the meeting-rails, the splice-bars being so positionedwith relation to one another that the smaller end of one splice-bar isadjacent the larger end of the other splice-bar, the said splice-barsbeing connected by bolts passing through the rails.

8. In a rail-joint the combination with the meeting ends of the railshaving an end strip of insulation interposed therebetween, of a pair ofsplice-bars, said splice-bars having one end larger than the other, oneof said splice-bars being located on one side of the meeting-rails andthe other of said splice-bars being located on the other side of themeetingrails, the larger ends of the splice-bars being insulated fromthe rail to a point adjacent the said end strip of insulation interposedbetween the meeting ends of the rails, the enlarged end of onesplice-bar being ad acent the smaller end of the other splice-bar, thesplice-bars being connected by bolts passing through the rails.

9. In a rail-joint, the combination with the meeting ends of the railshaving an end strip of insulation interposed therebetween, of a pair ofsplice-bars having one of their ends larger than the other, the enlargedend being formed in detachable sections, and having a strip ofinsulation interposed between the said sections, said strip ofinsulation terminating adjacent the end strip of insulation between themeeting-rails, the enlarged end of one splice-bar on one side of therail being adjacent the smaller end of the corresponding splice-bar onthe other side of the rail, the splice-bars being connected by boltspassing through the rails.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

CHRISTIAN J. BUCK.

Witnesses:

J. E. BURNs, Gnonen Hoses.

IIO

